PERSONAL. j\Ir Frank Dowling was on Saturday evening, at The Vandenberg, entertained by the employees of "Wan-, dary" station, whereof he has relinquished the management after several "years spent at that post. Mr Dowling has oined the well-known firm of W; IC. Garnsey, Senr., stock and station agents, and his big experience of stock, and genial, personality,: should commend him in his new sphere, where we wish him all sorts of luck. Mr A. J. Reymond, than -whom, there is no . better or more widely liked man in Forbes, lias been on the sick list since just before the holiday season. It was reported that Mr Reymond was down with fever, but the report has not been officially confirmed, and to that extent is without foundation; " We understand „ that Mr Reymond is now doing very fairly under the circumstances, and every-' one will hope to see his popular figure about again soon. Rev. Father Dora.n, who was here recently assisting in the administration of the Forbes'parish, is one of th...

THE HOLIDAY SEASON. QUIET CHRISTMAS. "And a Brief Diary. Christmas in Forbes came and. went quietly. Christmas Eve was observed on the Saturday night, and ; I business people did a good trade, whilst the streets were crowded. The usual sex-vices were held in the churches on Sunday and Christmas Day, rand a popular service was conducted by the Rev. J. M'Dowell (Presbyterian) in the Town Hall on Christmas night, part of the entertainment being some excellent moving pictures, illustrative of Biblical incidents, shown by Mr F. H. Brook. Christmas Day closed with one of the biggest duststorms of the year, and a welcome fall of rain followed. Boxing Day saw a large number off to Eugowra to the races, the only sport in Forbes being a rifle match, and a scratch cricket match. On Saturday preceding New Year's Eve, the town was decorated with bunting early, in celebration of the 16th Highland gathering of the Forbes Caledonian Society, and by the morning train 011 Saturday the Newtown Highlan...

POLICE and EUGOWRaZ P The people of Eugowra and.Senior-. Constable Justllius have . a .real, grievance against the police dept.— Eugowra, in that itis not fully polic-; ed, and Senior-Constatrte'Justilius, because of the excessive duties cast upon his shoulders. " He has been statione'd there-for some years, and has nearly as many different duties as the year has months, and while ther township steadily grows, it can readily be understood that the strain becomes heavier and heavier. Eugowra is a growingly, important place, which should have ample police protection, and . the- residents should see that ■the department- is well- shaken up over it; It is said that one reason for. letting thing's go as .they are is that very - few .pplice court. case's are recorded there. :I yIf-this is regarded' as an argument/It is a ridiculous one\x=req-\ It could mean;.(1) that -Eugowra is a very law-abiding centre; or (2). that: the solitary • "officer , stationed there is too busy attending, to cl...

FORBES RABBITS IN BIRMINGHAM. ■•Mr F. .Wall (of Messrs W. K. •GarnseyrSenr.).had a letter.from his brother -in .England: recently, in which the following, interesting passage occurs:—"A ^'ery . strange coincidence canie -under my ^notice the other day. I,'was waiting on the platform at New Street, .Birmingham, .for a train home, when a porter came quite close to. me. .his. trolly, packed up with boxes, and I was: curious to see what was in them.: Stamped on; -the side quite plainly was FORBES, and on "going neareiyl saw fur sticking out on -top; of: the- boxes—rabbit fur—and the label , said '24 - large rabbits from Forbes, -N.S.W.' I almost .shook hands with. those rabbits." ' '

LOSS OF A VALUABLE MAKE. Sympathy has to be extended to Mr "Ted" Clifford in the loss of his valuable trotting mare, Stella. Mr Clifford had prepared the mare for the trot at Eugowra on Boxing Day, and had her out there to take part. During the morning the mare' showed symptoms of internal trouble, and despite the application of remedies, died in a few hours. Mr Clifford had been offered 150 guineas for Stella, but would not have taken 200. ; She was 9 years old, by Burlington Junior, had won several trots for her owner, and was capable of 2.20 for the mile. • Death was probably due "to a form of acute gastritis.

CLEARING SALE AT "WANERA." Messrs Bedford, Taylor, and Weston, Ltd., of Orange, announce an Important clearing sale at "Wanera" station, Cookamidgera, to be lield on Saturday next, Ctli inst. All stock and the whole of the station working plant will be offered, and as the owners have sold "Wanera," the sale is unreserved. Our readers will find full details of this important sale in our advertising columns to-day.

MINING MEMS. There was a nebulous, elusive sort of rumour round town last week of a rush for platinum and gold to Platina; in the neighbourhood of Fi\x=req-\ fleld,'but on getting ot the nucleus of it it turned out to be\ based on the unimportant fact that a couple of~ prospectors-had bottomed on pay dirt 1 on portion of a small lead that had been lost for a chain or two,'and on i the unimportant fact that whilst the„ visiting buyer at one time offered only ,1G/- per ounce for platinum, he had now. sprung: ■ to £ 5-/5 /- ^ per ounce, which .makes all the difference to the digger. Messrs.Boyle.iand Rymeiv last week put through- about a cwt. of rich quartz at: Mr J. S. Sanderson's cyanide works at Calare, yielding 2«oz. :of gold, worth about. £3/10/- per oz. 'The-stone ; was crushed in a berdaii -pan,;?and then cyanided.

VISIT TO FORBES. The Right Rev. R. Kay, M.A., Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of New South Wales, is at present In Forbes. He arrived on Friday morning, and will remain here until next Thursday. On Saturday night he was tendered a civic reception by the local Council. • On Sunday he had a busy day. At 10.30 he addressed trie members of .the- Fellowship Association. At 11, he conducted service, and dispensed the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. At 3 p.m. he gave a special address on church life and work.. At 7.30 he conducted a service in-the Town Hall, and at 11.30 a watch night service in the church. To-morrow he lays the foundation stone of the new. church at Eu gowra. . .

District News EUGOWRA (From Our Representative). BAKER—KELLY. The marriage of Mr A. J. Baker, of Bathurst, to Miss Beatrice Kelly, of Eugowra, was quietly celebrated in the local Protestant Church on Wed- nesday morning last, Mr M'Dowell, Presbyterian minister, officiating. The bride, who was given away by her father, was becomingly dressed in a silvery-grey voile tunic skirt, trimmed with fringe, bodice to match, and wore a veil and orange blossoms. Miss L. Kelly, sister of the bride, acted as bridesmaid. After the cere- mony, a reception was held at the residence of the bride's parent. Mr T. Hickey occupied the chair, and the usual toasts and well wishes were bestowed on the newly married couple. Mr and Mrs Baker after- wards left for Bathurst, where the honeymoon is to be spent.

OBITUARY. The sad note of this Christmas season, is the death roll, which includes the pathetically tragic suicide of Miss Kate Woods, at Ooma. Mr W. E. Luthje had charge of the funeral arrangements, which included the transport of the body from Ooma to Forbes, where it was interred on Thursday last in the Presbyterian portion of the cemetery, the Rev. J. M'Dowell officiating at the graveside. Mrs Florence Cuneen, the wife of Mr P. Cuneen, an employee of Messrs. J. B. Reymond and Sons, passed over the Great Divide on Saturday, the 23rd ult., at the early age of 34 years, leaving behind her a sorrowing hus- band and three children. Mr T. Twist carried out the funeral arrangements. Mr James Young, a very old resi- dent of the Lachlan River district, died at the local hospital on Friday, the 22nd ult., at the age of 49, leav- ing an aged mother and several bro- thers. The funeral arrangements were carried out by Mr W. E. Luthje. The infant child of Mr Harry Hall, a son of the late Mr W...

LATEST CABLEGRAMS. London, Thursday. Stringent measures are being taken by the Egyptian authorities to prevent breaches of neutrality in the smuggling of arms across the border into Tripoli. Two of the mo t prominent miners' leaders in England deprecate the de\x=req-\ mands.made by the men in the matter of a minimum wage. The affair at Longmor was merely a riot due to the feeling caused by a football match. The reconstructed Turkish Cabinet met with a rowdy reception in the Chamber of Deputies. Lord Laxnington, British ambassador to Persia, declares that Persia has been thwarted in her efforts at regeneration. He fears the partition of the country, and its effect on India. Most of the German newspapers ignore the recent declaration of friendship made by British Ministers, w;hilst in one of these papers the speeches are viewed with suspicion. President Taft declares that nothing but death will keep him out of the next presidential campaign. It is reported that 110 women were fined in...

STOCK CROSSINGS. The following crossings of stock over the Forbes town common are reported by Mr T. Webb, the common ranger:—December 26, 1100 sheep from Mylandra to Hermidale, Mat\x=req-\ chett owner, Glynn in charge. • December 27, 700 sheep from Wandary to Alectown. Whitmill owner, Strickland in charge. December 28, 900 sheep from trucking yards to Graw\x=req-\ lin, Gordon owner, Ashcroft in charge; 400 sheep from Waugan to Glen Oma, Beddie owner, Miller in charge. January 1, 800 sheep from The Warrens to Mudgee, Hill owner, J.'Strickland in charge; 60 bullocks from Walla Walla to Flemington, March owner, in charge. January 2, 500 sheep from Walla Walla to Flemington, Hall owner, Jones in charge; 300 sheep from Parkes to Orange Grove, Atchinson owner, in charge. January 3, 1800 sheep from Cashmeere to Wilga, Hammond owner, Speck in charge; 600 sheep from Grawlin to Orange Grove, At\x=req-\ chinson owner, in charge.

IMPORTANT TO STOCKOWNERS I A case of importance to stockowners was withdrawn at the police court on Tuesday. The Inspector pf Nuisances for the Forbes Municipal Council had summoued Mr Stuart Gordon for travelling stock through a street of the town, which was not an authorised stock route, to witj a street leading from the goods yards at the railway station. As a matter of. convenience, it has been the custom for the railways to give, permission to stockowners to untruck sheep near the goods shed, instead of at the trucking yards. The trouble can easily be obviated by .the erection of a gate by the railway authorities openiug from the station yard at this point on to the town common. Or, failing that, the Council could have the street proclaimed a stock route. Mr D. J. Moloney, who appeai*ed for the Council, stated, in withdrawing the case, that Mr Gordon had been made the scapegoat for the railway authorities.